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From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
International Alert Nigeria, in partnership with the Platform for African Youths in Climate Action and Peacebuilding (PAYCAaP), has trained 240 young people in Benue State on climate change, climate justice, peacebuilding, conflict sensitivity and natural resource management.
The training, organised under the “Powering Peace Through Climate Action 2” project with support from Irish Aid, was held as part of a University Outreach Programme themed, “Empowering Youths for Climate Peace and Resilience.”
Project Officer of International Alert Nigeria, Ati Kengkeng, said the initiative was designed to ensure that young people have a stronger voice in conversations and decision-making around climate change and peacebuilding.
According to him, young people are among the groups most vulnerable to the effects of climate change because climate-related challenges often erode their livelihoods and increase their exposure to conflict and economic hardship.
“What we are doing here is part of International Alert Nigeria’s effort to make the voices of young people count in issues relating to climate change governance, climate justice, natural resource management, peacebuilding and conflict sensitivity.
“Climate change affects young people significantly because they are particularly vulnerable. Their sources of livelihood are often eroded when climate-related challenges occur.
“Through the Platform for African Youth in Climate Action and Peacebuilding, we are empowering young people to amplify their voices and become part of conversations around climate change and peacebuilding,” Kengkeng said.
He said the programme would empower young people to organise awareness activities within their communities and develop practical responses to the effects of climate change.
He added that the participants would also explore opportunities emerging from climate change, including green jobs, climate adaptation and mitigation, while building resilience against its growing impacts.
Kengkeng described the programme as a “recruiting ground” for more young people to join conversations around climate action, conflict sensitivity and peacebuilding.
Also speaking, PAYCAaP Coordinator, Joseph Asongu, said the programme was designed to equip young people with the knowledge, networks and tools needed to respond to the climate crisis and contribute to sustainable peace.
Asongu said the theme of the programme was not merely a slogan but a call to action for young people to take leadership in addressing the twin challenges of climate change and peacebuilding.
He said the initiative would help build bridges between academia and practice, between local realities and global solutions, and most importantly between generations.
Asongu said “The future of Africa depends on how well we empower our youths to lead in climate action and peacebuilding.”
On his part, the Head of Programmes and Projects at the Benue State Council on Climate Change, Dr. Stephen Ahile, described the training as timely, saying participants were being introduced to the relationship between weather, climate, global warming and climate change.
Ahile said the training was also exposing participants to mitigation and adaptation strategies and how climate change affects both the environment and human beings.
He urged young people to see climate change not only as a challenge but also as an opportunity to develop skills and create sustainable livelihoods.
According to him, young people could generate income through activities such as compost production, tree planting, climate-smart farming and environmentally friendly cooking methods.
He said such activities could help reduce carbon emissions, protect the environment and create employment opportunities for young people at a time when graduating from university does not necessarily guarantee immediate employment.
Ahile also disclosed that the Benue State Council on Climate Change had developed a climate change policy, action plan and Climate Change Law, which are currently before the state Governor Hyacinth, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia for assent.
He lauded International Alert Nigeria and the Women Environmental Health Programme (WEP) with supporting the development of the policy and legal framework.
The council official further disclosed that Benue State was partnering with Green Planet Africa on a project to produce and distribute 2 million clean cooking stoves to women across the state’s 23 local government areas.
He said the initiative was expected to reduce carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases while creating employment and income opportunities.
According to him, the factory for the production of the cookstoves would be located in Makurdi, while beneficiaries would also receive periodic stipends.
Ahile said the initiative, alongside other climate-related interventions, was part of the state’s broader efforts to strengthen climate action, protect the environment and improve livelihoods.
